Current Affairs Update – 10-11 May, 2017

Hello and welcome to exampundit. Here are the important Current Affairs update of 10 and 11 May, 2017. These are important for the upcoming SBI PO Mains, NIACL Assistant Mains, BOB Manipal, NICL AO Mains and other exams in 2017 July and August.

Current Affairs at a Glance – 10-11 May, 2017

The largest lender State Bank of
India will introduce new facility that would enable withdrawal of cash through ATMs using the bank’s mobile wallet. However,
the bank will charge Rs 25 on every cash withdrawal from the mobile wallet via
ATMs.

National Highways Authority of India’s first Masala Bond was launched
today at the London Stock Exchange
with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari ringing the opening bell.

The city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat would be hosting the biggest ever
International Yoga Day event on 21 June 2017.

India and the US in May
2017 exchanged views on maritime
developments in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Region and considered
steps to further strengthen bilateral maritime security cooperation.

The 29th series of India– IndonesiaCo-Ordinated
Patrol (CORPAT) commenced on 9 May 2017 at Port Blair under the aegis of
Andaman and Nicobar Command.

India has decided to replaceitsMaitriresearchstation in Antarctica
with a new one in the next three to four years. The same was announced by
Madhavan Nair Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences on 9 May 2017.

Road Transport and Highways
Secretary SanjayMitra was on 10 May 2017 appointed as
Defence Secretary in a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle.

Twitter, the social networking
giant elevated TaranjeetSingh as its Country Director for India
on 10 May 2017.

Liberal politician MoonJae–in on 10 May 2017
was sworn in as South Korea’s President in a ceremony at the National Assembly
Seoul.

The NationalTechnologyDay2017 was observed on 11 May 2017 in India with the theme Technology for inclusive and sustainable
growth. The day is commemorated to mark the anniversary of Pokhran nuclear
tests of 1998.

The World Migratory Bird Day (WMBD) 2017 was observed across the world
on 10 May 2017. The theme for WMBD 2017 is “Their Future is our Future – A
Healthy Planet for Migratory Birds and People.”

Australian Senator LarissaWaters, the deputy co-leader of the Australian Greens party became the first woman in the history of
Australian Politics to breastfeed her baby during a Parliamentary session
on 9 May 2017.

The International Day of Vesak celebrations will be held in Colombo
from 12 May to 14 May. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be travelling
to Sri Lanka on 11 May to attend the festival.

Indian women’s team fast bowler JhulanGoswami on 9 May 2017 became the highest wicket-taker in the
history of Women’s One-Day Internationals.

Financial and Banking News

SBI to allow ATM withdrawals via e-wallet

The largest lender State Bank of
India will introduce new facility that would enable withdrawal of cash through
ATMs using the bank’s mobile wallet.

However, the bank will charge Rs
25 on every cash withdrawal from the mobile wallet via ATMs.

Meanwhile, the SBI has denied
media reports that it has increased service charges to Rs 25 on regular ATM
transactions.

“If a customer has money in
SBI Buddy, our mobile wallet, he can now withdraw that money through ATMs.
Also, now customer can deposit cash or withdraw cash through business
correspondent (BC) from or into our mobile wallet. These facilities were not available
earlier,” Kumar added.

For cash deposit of up to Rs
1,000 into its mobile wallet through business correspondents, the bank will
levy a service charge of 0.25 per cent (minimum Rs 2 and maximum Rs 8) plus
service tax.

For cash withdrawal of up to Rs
2,000 from SBI Buddy through business correspondents, the service charges will
be 2.50 per cent of the transaction value (minimum of Rs 6) in addition to
service tax.

Gadkari launches NHAI’s first Masala Bond in UK

National Highways Authority of
India’s first Masala Bond waslaunched today at the London Stock Exchange with
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari ringing the opening bell.

The rupee-denominated offshore
bond offered by National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on the exchange is
targeted at raising capital for India’s infrastructure projects.

“India gives the highest
priority for infrastructure development. Our economy is the fastest growing in
the world. NHAI is a flagship organisation, with AAA rating and we have many
big projects to offer,” Gadkari said at the London Stock Exchange market
opening ceremony.

In reference to the progress
already made, Gadkari pointed to a hike in road construction figures from just
2 kilometres per day,when he took charge of the transport ministry,to 23
kilometres a day at the end of March this year.

The government’s target is to
increase the length of the national highway from 96,000 kilometres to 2 lakh
kilometres, he said.

Union Government sets up a task force to compute reliable and timely
employment data

The Union Government led by Prime
Minister Narendra Modi on 9 May 2017 created a task force on employment data.
The task force to be headed by NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya and
will be responsible for creating a methodology to generate timely and reliable
employment data.

It will also recommend solutions
which can be implemented in a time-bound manner.

In view of the importance of
timely and reliable data on employment, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has
directed his Office and concerned Ministries to come up with a solution to fill
the long-standing gap in the country’s statistical architecture.

Besides, the Prime Minister
directed that the task is expedited so that policies on employment can be
formulated with a proper appreciation of impacts, based on credible data.

The government said, it attaches
the highest priority to job creation but the lack of a reliable, timely data on
employment has made it difficult for policymakers and independent observers to
assess the extent of employment generation at different points of time.

Advertisement

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

a

News related to India and states

Ahmedabad to host a mega-event to celebrate International Yoga Day

The city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat
would be hosting the biggest ever International Yoga Day event on 21 June 2017.

The same was announced by Yoga
Guru Baba Ramdev while addressing a press conference in the city on 10 May
2017. The Yogi announced that the event would witness participation from over 5
lakh people.

The event would be inaugurated by
the state’s Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and BJP president Amit Shah would be
present at its concluding ceremony.

It would be jointly hosted by the
city’s GMDC and AES grounds, which when combined boast of a total area of 28
lakh square ft.

It would be a non-political
programme conducted in partnership with Gujarat government which will also
involve various social organizations.

India and the US in May 2017
exchanged views on maritime developments in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean
Region and considered steps to further strengthen bilateral maritime security
cooperation.

The exchanges were made in the
second round of the India-US Maritime Security Dialogue. The dialogue between
the two nations was held on 9 and 10 May 2017 in Newport, Rhode Island in the
USA.

They also reviewed the
implementation of the decisions taken at the first Maritime Security Dialogue
held in May 2016.

The Indian delegation was led
jointly by Joint Secretary Ministry of External Affairs Pankaj Sharma and Munu
Mahawar and Joint Secretary (Navy) Ministry of Defence Devika Raghuvanshi.

The US side was led by Assistant
Secretary of Defence for Asian and Pacific Security Affairs David Helvey and
Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs
Sean Stein.

The next round of the dialogue
will be held in India on mutually convenient dates.

Meeting of the Co-Chairs of the India-Russia Intergovernmental
Commission held in New Delhi

The Co-Chairs of the India-Russia
Inter-Governmental Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific, Technological and
Cultural Cooperation (IRIGC-TEC) was held on 10 May 2017 in New Delhi.

The delegations of the two
nations were led by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Deputy Prime
Minister of the Russia Dmitry Olegovich Rogozin. During the meet, the two
leaders reviewed the progress made on various bilateral issues since the last
meet that was held on 13 September 2016. They also looked forward towards the
preparations for the forthcoming India-Russia Annual Summit that is scheduled
to be held in St. Petersburg on 1 June 2017.

External Affairs Minister and
Deputy Prime Minister agreed to up gradation work in the weeks and months ahead
to take forward collaborative projects in the following areas:

Civil nuclear energy

Joint projects in third countries

Design, development, assembly and
testing of total hardware and firmware required for GLONASS-NAVIC GPS Receiver

The Prime Minister of India,
Narendra Modi launched the integrated case management system of the Supreme
Court on 10 May 2017 at a function in New Delhi.

The inaugural event was attended
by the Chief Justice of India, Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and
judges of the apex court.

The Integrated Case Management
System will be connected with the Supreme Court website.

This move is the apex court’s
first step towards becoming a paperless, digital court.

The new digital system will
enable the litigants to access their data and retrieve any information required
online.

Chief Justice of India, Jagdish
Singh Khehar has proposed to integrate the system with all the 24 high courts
and subordinate courts in the country.

29th edition of CORPAT between India and Indonesia begins at Port Blair

The 29th series of India-
Indonesia Co-Ordinated Patrol (CORPAT) commenced on 9 May 2017 at Port Blair
under the aegis of Andaman and Nicobar Command.

The Indonesian Naval Ship KRI
Sutedi Senoputra arrived at Haddo Wharf, Port Blair to mark the commencement of
the 29th series of IND–INDO CORPAT. An Indonesian Maritime Patrol Aircraft also
flew in with the Indonesian Naval delegation led by First Admiral Bambang
Irwanto to INS Utkrosh, Port Blair. First Admiral Bambang Irwanto called on
Major General PS Sai, Chief of Staff, Andaman and Nicobar Command and the
delegation also interacted with Commodore Ashutosh Ridhorkar, the Naval
Component Commander.

The closing ceremony of the
CORPAT is scheduled at Belawan, Indonesia from 22 to 25 May 2017.

India to replace its research station in Antarctica

India has decided to replace its
Maitri research station in Antarctica with a new one in the next three to four
years. The same was announced by Madhavan Nair Rajeevan, Secretary, Ministry of
Earth Sciences on 9 May 2017.

Rajeevan made the announcement
while speaking on the sidelines of a programme to formally commence ship
building by Titagarh Wagons Ltd in Kolkatta, India. He also stated that India
is poised to expand its research activity in the coldest continent and a new
ship, with a special ice-cutting facility, will be procured for the purpose.

He further added the India is
also drafting its own laws to safeguard its interest in Antarctica, as it is
currently governed by international laws.

Appointments

Sanjay Mitra appointed as Defence Secretary

Road Transport and Highways
Secretary Sanjay Mitra was on 10 May 2017 appointed as Defence Secretary in a
top-level bureaucratic reshuffle. His appointment was approved by Appointments
Committee of Cabinet (ACC).

Mitra will succeed G Mohan Kumar,
who will completes his tenure on 24 May 2017. Till then, Mitra will function as
an Officer on Special Duty in the Defence Ministry. This will be his first posting
in the Defence Ministry.

Twitter elevates Taranjeet Singh as Country Director for India

Twitter, the social networking
giant elevated Taranjeet Singh as its Country Director for India on 10 May
2017. Singh was previously leading the charge for sales and marketing support
for Twitter’s advertisers in India.

The official statement released
by Twitter India read that Taranjeet in his new position would be leading the
team by driving an integrated business strategy and spearheading
cross-functional collaboration. His role would also include accelerating
Twitter’s audience and revenue growth in India, its key growth market.

Moon Jae-in sworn in as President of South Korea

Liberal politician Moon Jae-in on
10 May 2017 was sworn in as South Korea’s President in a ceremony at the
National Assembly Seoul.

Moon won South Korea’s
presidential election in a victory that ends nearly a decade of conservative
rule.

The liberal’s victory will end
months of political turmoil that led to parliament’s impeachment of
conservative former President Park Geun-hye over an extensive corruption
scandal, which a court upheld in March 2017. With this, Park became the first
democratically elected leader in South Korea to be removed from office.

Official results showed that Moon
achieved a decisive victory with the highest turnout in 20 years despite
drizzly weather in South Korea. He won 41.1% of the votes compared with 24% for
conservative candidate Hong Joon-pyo and 21.4% for centrist candidate Ahn
Cheol-soo.

Days

India celebrates 2017 National Technology Day

The National Technology Day 2017
was observed in India with the theme Technology for inclusive and sustainable
growth.

The day is commemorated to mark
the anniversary of Pokhran nuclear tests of 1998. It also marks India’s
scientific prowess and technological advancements.

It was the same date in 1998 when
India successfully conducted first among the five nuclear tests in Pokhran
under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The tests showcased India’s
strength to the entire world.

World Migratory Bird Day 2017 observed with theme Their Future is our
Future

The World Migratory Bird Day
(WMBD) 2017 was observed across the world on 10 May 2017. The theme for WMBD
2017 is “Their Future is our Future – A Healthy Planet for Migratory Birds
and People.”

The theme for the year throws
light on the topic of Sustainable Development for Wildlife and People.

The WMBD 2017 highlights the
interdependence of people and nature, and more especially people and migratory
animals – in particular birds, as they share the same planet and thus the same
limited resources.

The 2017 campaign will aim at
raising awareness on the need for a sustainable management of the natural
resources, demonstrating that birds conservation is also crucial for the future
of humankind.

World News

Larissa Waters became the first woman senator to breastfeed in
Parliament

Australian Senator Larissa
Waters, the deputy co-leader of the Australian Greens party became the first
woman in the history of Australian Politics to breastfeed her baby during a Parliamentary
session on 9 May 2017.

The senator, who returned to
Parliament after 10 weeks of maternity leave, breastfed her 2-month-old
daughter, Alia Joy, during a vote for a Greens policy motion on a federal
budget.

Waters also tweeted following the
incident saying that she was so proud that her daughter Alia is the first baby
to be breastfed in the federal Parliament! She also added that there is a need
for more women, parents in the Parliament.

The milestone comes after Waters
played a significant role in pushing the Senate to allow female politicians to
bring their children into the Parliament for breastfeeding. Under previous
rules, children were banned from entering the parliamentary chambers and
breastfeeding mothers were given a proxy vote.

Narendra Modi to attend International Day of Vesak celebrations in
Colombo

Buddha Purnima or
“Vesak”, the day of the Full Moon was observed globally on 10 May
2017. The day marks the birth of Gautam Buddha, who was born two and a half
millennia ago in the year 623 B.C.

It was also on this day that the
Buddha attained enlightenment under the Mahabodhi tree at Bodh Gaya and it was
on the day of Vesak that the Buddha passed away.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi
tweeted on the occasion saying that the ideals of Gautama Buddha and his noble
thoughts will continue to guide generations and inspire people to work towards
a harmonious, just and compassionate society.

The International Day of Vesak
celebrations will be held in Colombo from 12 May to 14 May.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi will be travelling to Sri Lanka on 11 May to attend the festival.

Indian wrestler Harpreet Singh on
10 May 2017 won a bronze medal in the Greco-Roman weight divisions on the
opening day of the Asian Wrestling Championship. In the opening match played in
New Delhi, Harpreet defeated his rival Jun Ji Na of China 3-2 in 80kilogram
category.

In addition to this, another
Indian wrestler Gurpreet Singh lost his bronze medal bout 0-8 in just 38
seconds to Bin Yang of China. He earlier entered the bronze medal play-off
round of Greco-Roman weight divisions in the 75 kilogram category.

Earlier in the day, three other
Indian Greco-Roman wrestlers — Ravinder, Hardeep and Naveen — were knocked
out of the tournament.

South Korea with a tally of five
medals including one gold, three silver and a bronze emerged as the most
successful nation on the day.